


Earn Your Sea Legs

by RomeandOtherHistory



Category: Night at the Museum (Movies)
Genre: Bartholomew is DONE with them dancing around each other, Both Jedediah and Octavius are oblivious, Jedediah is very very jealous, M/M, Night at the Museum OC, Pirates hek yeh, Someone Help Them
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2020-09-14
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:14:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26463994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RomeandOtherHistory/pseuds/RomeandOtherHistory
Summary: A new permanent diorama is coming to join the Hall of Miniatures. What Jedediah was not prepared for was the horrible, seething jealousy he would feel towards the new pirate captain. (Hurt/comfort, with lots of fluff at the end)
Relationships: Jedediah/Octavius (Night at the Museum)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 103





	Earn Your Sea Legs

It had taken years for the museum board to finally decide what the fourth diorama in the Hall of Miniatures would be. Finally, they had put out a suggestions box and had sorted the suggestions into piles to discover which was the most popular. It was decided that a pirate diorama was wanted, and so the figurine artists came and got straight to work.

They could first see the ocean, which would shift from blue resin to a calm, beautiful turquoise beach every night. That became a place for Jedediah and Octavius to frequent at, and Jedediah could only stare at Octavius’s face and think about how beautiful it looked. He thought this in a completely platonic way, of course. There was no way Jedediah Smith was attracted to Octavius. Absolutely not. There was nothing wrong with thinking that your best friend is handsome.

Completely normal.

Nor did Jedediah care about the time he walked into the Roman baths-it was quite an accident; he was just looking for Octavius-and he got to see every bit of Octavius. Every article of clothing was gone, and Octavius was just sitting there, unashamed, with a smile and a greeting of “come to join?” when Jedediah walked in. No, there was no way Jedediah Smith was attracted to Octavius. Absolutely not. The feelings he had were feelings of...jealousy. Yes, jealousy

Jedediah loved the beach and the peace it brought to his heart. He would sit in the sand next to a cross-legged Octavius, listening to both the waves and to Octavius ramble on about how beautiful this diorama was. Other nights, he’d talk about a shell or rock he’d found as they walked along the beach, and, even though he already knew what it looked like, Jedediah let him. He let Octavius speak his poetic, sweet words about a seashell because he was his friend. And he loved to hear Octavius speak in such a happy way. Didn’t everyone love listening to their friend speak for hours at a time?

Those were the only moments when Jedediah was silent.

No, Jedediah Smith refused to be attracted to Octavius.

But he was alright loving him.

Loving your friend was normal.

Right?

Their quiet nights ended the moment that the new figurines arrived. The moment Jedediah unfroze, he could already hear loud singing and the creaking of a wooden ship on water. Feet were stamping on a wooden deck and the sound of shattering glass and loud whoops pierced the singing.

Octavius appeared at his side. “It seems as though the newcomers are taking this quite well.”

Jedediah’s heart jumped; from Octavius frightening him with his sudden appearance, of course. “They are. Shall we introduce ourselves?”

Octavius nodded, and they walked to the rope that led out of the dioramas. They slid down it, Octavius-out of habit-catching Jedediah at the bottom. They stared at each other for a heartbeat. No, three heartbeats. Then Octavius set Jedediah on the ground with a cough.

“Alright. Let’s go see our new hall companions,” he muttered.

Jedediah muttered, and they ran off to the new diorama, where Jedediah let out a loud gasp. “Pirates!”

Octavius stared at him. “Larry told us what the diorama was going to be.”

“Yeah, well...” Jedediah shrugged sheepishly. “I wasn’t listening.”

Of course, Jedediah wasn’t going to add that he had been staring at Oct and that was why he wasn’t listening, because that wasn’t important.

“Hm. Well, you know now.”

They scaled the wall leading into the diorama, Jedediah tying a new rope onto a post near the edge of the diorama. The moment he looked up, there was a cutlass pointing directly at his fact and Octavius was surrounded by six different pirates. Jedediah rose to his feet, ignoring the danger he was in. Octavius was in trouble, and that’s all that mattered right now.

“Who are you?!” the pirate with the cutlass at Jedediah’s throat demanded. “You dare enter the territory of Captain Roberts without permission?!”

“Calm yourself, William. At ease, boys!”

A man that Jedediah could only assume to be ‘Captain Roberts’ sauntered into view. He removed his hat and long, dark brown hair falling in soft waves. His left ear was pierced with a small gold earring and he smirked mischievously. And Jedediah hated him. Instantly. He hated him because of the look that appeared on Octavius’s face the moment his eyes fell upon this Captain.

“Captain Bartholomew Roberts, at your service.” Bartholomew removed his hat and bowed dramatically before placing his back on his head and rising back to his full height. “If I may, who are you?”

“My name is Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus, or simply Octavius,” Octavius introduced himself, coming to stand by Jedediah’s side. “And this is Jedediah Strong Smith.”

“Pleasure to meet you.” Bartholomew straightened his cuffs. “And...where are we? This is an awfully strange coastal city.”

“This...isn’t a city.” Octavius removed his helmet. “It’s going to be a lot to take in, but you’re...small.” 

“I beg your pardon?!” Bartholomew demanded. “Whatever do you mean by ‘you’re small’?!” 

Jedediah snorted. “Are ya a bit sensitive ‘bout somethin’, Bart?” 

“What we mean is that...oh, you know what? I’ll show you what I mean,” Octavius said quickly, turning to face the hallway. “Larry!” 

The nightguard appeared down the hall. “What is it, Octavius?” 

“The new diorama requires to understand what I mean by saying that they are small.” 

Larry walked quickly down the hall, the pirates letting out exclamations of surprise and fear. “Uh...hey guys. I’m Larry.” 

“A giant!” Bartholomew gasped. 

“Actually, he’s not a giant. We’re just...small,” Octavius sighed. “Thanks Larry.” 

“No problem. Good to see that you’re all getting along.” Larry waved before walking off to finish his patrol of the exhibits. 

“You...we’re...” Bartholomew stepped back, the expression on his face making it clear that he was trying really hard to process his recent realization. “Is this...a dream? Because I’m quite sure that I...I was dying...” 

“It’ll take awhile to fully understand, but I promise you that this is not a dream,” Octavius assured Bartholomew, putting a hand on his shoulder. 

“Well you are sure not helping me believe those words, with such an angelic face as your own.” Bartholomew grinned coyly, Octavius’s face brushing with a light pink as he pulled his hand away. 

Jedediah’s heart raged. 

He grabbed Octavius’s hand, dragging him back over to him. “Hey, Oct, Larry wanted us to go play with Rexy tonight, remember?” 

“Did he?” Octavius asked as Jedediah led him away, waving at Bartholomew. “Feel free to explore. We can answer any questions you have later.” 

“Stop TALKING to him!” Jedediah snarled under his breath. 

“What?” 

“Nothing,” Jedediah said quickly. “I’m just angry at myself for forgettin’ we had to play with Rexy. I’m sure he’s bored out of his mind.” 

“Hmm.” Octavius tried to free his hand from Jedediah’s grip, but with little avail. “Um...Jed? You’re crushing my hand.” 

“Sorry.” Jedediah released Octavius’s hand. 

“Jedediah, you’re acting very odd.” 

“ ‘Course I am!” Jedediah snapped. “You’re bein’ too trustin’ too fast! Ol’ Roberts is a PIRATE, Tavi!” 

“Yeah? And so?”

“He’s DANGEROUS!”

“He hasn’t shown any ill intent towards us. Let’s give him a chance.”

No, Jedediah Smith was most certainly not attracted to Octavius.

...

Jedediah stopped trying to fight the inevitable. Bartholomew would appear at random, asking for Octavius’s help specifically. He asked for tours of the museum, help on understanding modern culture, help on sparring tips...the list went on. At first, Jedediah would grab Octavius’s hand and drag him elsewhere. But then...

He saw the light in Octavius’s eyes. A light that Jedediah never saw before. One of pure, unrestrained joy. So, Jedediah let Octavius go. And each time he did, his heart broke a little more. That gaze of unrequited love and desire had never been aimed towards him, and he couldn’t blame Octavius. And since he was his friend, he let Octavius go.

He couldn’t hold onto someone forever who didn’t love him.

No, Jedediah Smith wasn’t attracted to Octavius.

He was madly, deeply in love with him.

There was a difference.

A difference that didn’t matter because Octavius didn’t love him back.

...

“Why so sad, Jed?” Larry asked one night as Jedediah stared forlornly at Octavius speaking to Bartholomew in the distance.

“I AIN’T SAD!” Jedediah snapped. “I’m jus’...thinking!”

“Oh...okay?” Larry seemed unconvinced. “You haven’t seemed like yourself lately. Did you and Octavius have a fight?”

“Wait ain’t a couple! We don’t ‘have fights’!” Jedediah kicked the dirt of his diorama. “We’re...havin’ a disagreement.”

“Uh huh. About what?” 

“Nothin’,” Jedediah growled. “I’m gonna go help brush down the horses.” 

Jedediah turned to leave, but Larry put his hand down in front of Jedediah, efficiently stopping him in his tracks. “Hold up, Jed. No matter what’s happening between you and Octavius, don’t let it stop you from being friends. You need each other, alright?” 

“No we don’t!” Jedediah exclaimed angrily. “At least, not anymore, alright?! Not ever since the dashin’, charmin’ Captain Roberts showed up! What an ace-high fella! Tavi has everything he could ever want with dear ol’ Captain Roberts! He’s gone and left me in a bag o’ nails! An’ Captain Roberts...tha’ ol’ chisler...he done stole my best friend. An’ I...I couldn’t stop him.” 

“Oh, Jed,” Larry sighed. “It’s not that horrible. Octavius has found a new friend. That’s all. He’s excited to meet someone new and interesting. Just give him some time. He hasn’t left you behind, Jed. To me, it seems like you’re actually the one pushing him away. All you have to do is talk to him, alright? Let him know that this is how you feel. Octavius will understand.” 

Jedediah let out a sigh. “Alright, Gigantor. But jus’ because ya said so. Got it?” 

Larry rolled his eyes as he rose back to his full height. “Whatever, Jed.” 

...

Thanks to his conversation with Larry, Jedediah had lost track of Octavius and Bartholomew. He wanted to slap himself for that. Jedediah had been so careful to not let Octavius be alone with Bartholomew for too long. Definitely not because he wanted to be alone with Octavius and hated the fact Bartholomew got to do that and not him anymore. 

As he turned a corner, though, Jedediah heard voices. They were hushed, excited, rushed. He froze, recognizing them as Octavius and Bartholomew, and just listened. It was hard to make out what they were saying, and he only got small bits and pieces. Then, Bartholomew suddenly started to speak loudly. 

“Octavius, you’re quite a magnificent person,” he said. “Positively magnificent.” 

“Well, thank you, Bartholomew. You’re quite talented yourself.” 

“Oh, I’m not just talking about your talents, General.” Jedediah could practically hear Bartholomew smirking. “You’re a beautiful person, Octavius.”

“I...I don’t quite know what to say...” Octavius murmured. “I’m not used to such compliments.” 

So that was it. That must be why Octavius loved Bartholomew and not Jedediah, who wanted to once again slap himself. What was he supposed to expect?! Of course Octavius would be drawn to Bartholomew, someone who was so willing to openly speak about his feelings. Octavius himself had even told Jedediah that he loved compliments, but that he didn’t get them a lot. And Jedediah hadn’t done anything about it. Hadn’t said anything sweet or caring or even just kind. 

He’d remained silent. 

No, he realized. I did something far worse. 

Jedediah had just laughed, patted his shoulder, and said: “Well ya are a bit hard to give compliments to.” 

What Jedediah had meant was that Octavius was intimidating. But, he now realized that Octavius probably thought he meant something else. That Octavius wasn’t attractive. That he was undeserving of compliments. That there was nothing to compliment. Which was the complete opposite of what Jedediah meant. What he wanted to say was “I would compliment you but I find you so incredibly attractive that I’m worried that I won’t be able to find the words to describe you” or “I love you so much that my tongue cannot form what I want to say.” 

That was what he had meant. 

“You don’t have to say anything, Octavius,” Bartholomew continued. “You don’t need to say anything. I wanted to give you a compliment. You don’t have to say anything in return. That would ruin the purpose of it, wouldn’t it?”

“I...I suppose...” Octavius stammered. “It’s...it’s just that...that most don’t find me...you know...” 

“Attractive?” Bartholomew asked. “Then they are missing out. They must not have eyes.” 

“Forgive me, Bartholomew, but I do not think I can quite believe the words coming out of your mouth.” 

Jedediah’s heart didn’t know whether to leap or to sink. Was Octavius truly that damaged? Or was he simply suspicious of Bartholomew’s intentions? Jedediah hoped desperately that it was the latter. Though, in his heart, he knew that wasn’t the case. 

“Why is that? Most certainly someone has complimented you before.”

“In the past, yes. When I wasn’t...like this,” Octavius sighed. “I used to be greatly desired, quite admired. Beautiful. The complete opposite of everything I am now.” 

“That is a lie. A blasphemous lie,” Bartholomew said firmly. “On the inside, you are still that magnificent person. On the outside as well. And I’m sure you’ve heard compliments from that strange western friend of yours?” 

He hasn’t, Jedediah thought to himself. And what a fool I am for that. 

“No.” Octavius confirmed what Jedediah already knew. “But...it’s alright. We’re just friends. Jedediah...he isn’t big on letting others know what he thinks about them. And that’s alright.” 

No it’s not! Jedediah wanted to scream. It’s not alright! Not in the least bit! Dang nab it, Octavius!

“It seems to me that this ‘friend’ of yours isn’t all that great.” It was clear that Bartholomew was rolling his eyes. 

“Please, don’t take my words the wrong way. Jedediah is a fantastic man, and I don’t want you to get the wrong impression. He’s brought happiness into my life like no one else ever has. Not even...not even Livia. I loved her dearly as my wife and advisor but we were unable to spend time on the adventures that Jedediah and I have. I believe that’s why our friendship is so special.” 

Now Jedediah was confused. Confused beyond all sorts of belief. He gave Octavius more happiness...than Livia? Jedediah had heard plenty about Octavius’s beloved wife. Though Octavius had concubines and affairs, those were normal for high-ranking officials and he loved none save it be his queen. Octavius had rarely spoken about her, but, when he did, he rambled on for hours about her. About her beauty, of her wisdom, of her grace and of her light, silver-bell laughter. Then, Octavius would grow sad and regretful, explaining how he wished he had been wiser to leave his concubines and affairs behind and focus on giving that part of himself to her and only her.

For she had given hers to him and had never laid in bed with another. 

Livia Drusilla Augusta. 

And Jedediah brought him more happiness. 

How?

He couldn’t fathom why. 

...

Jedediah had slipped away the first chance he’d gotten. He needed time to think. Lots of it. Octavius’s words didn’t make sense to him. Not in the least. How could he bring Octavius more joy than his beloved wife did?

It was true that, here, in the museum, Octavius had far more free time than he ever had before. So, therefore, he was able to spend more time with people that he cared about. Perhaps there were feelings involved?

No, Jedediah convinced himself. Not possible. 

As much as Jedediah hoped and prayed for Octavius to love him, he could never believe that Octavius could love him. He was so imperfect, and had made far too many mistakes. So, perhaps their bond was special through friendship. 

Yes, friendship. That beautiful, horrid, dreaded word. The word that kept a barrier between Jedediah and Octavius. “I believe that’s why friendship is so special.” Not “relationship.” Just “friendship.” Never had a word had so much importance and yet so much pain to Jedediah. 

Perhaps friendship was all that Octavius needed from Jedediah. Another thing that Jedediah knew about Octavius was that he really didn’t have many friends either in his past life or in this life. His legionnaires were too nervous around him. He was paranoid and nervous himself, and it was rare for Octavius to trust anyone. But he trusted Jedediah. 

They clicked like puzzle pieces that’d been turned around to face each other at the right angle the moment they’d stopped fighting, nearly spending every second together. They’d shared their deepest secrets with each other and their darkest fears. They’d been through thick and thin together, even nearly died together. They’d embraced each other and wept once they were reunited after three years, since they’d believed that they would never awaken again. 

Jedediah had seen the vulnerable and odd sides of Octavius. The part of him that loved to make jokes-specifically bad ones-that would make him burst into laughter before he even finished the joke. The part of him that loved animals with every fiber of his being and hoped for forgiveness from the spirits of the ones who’d died in his gladiator rings. The part of him that sobbed in Jedediah’s arms when sudden, crushing loneliness and longing to have his wife and children back fell upon him with unmerciful weight. 

Octavius had seen the darkness of Jedediah’s mind. The darkness that he so desperately crushed underneath his love and passion for life. The darkness that remembered the pain on his mother’s face when she would have a miscarriage, which happened many times between the births of his twelve siblings. The darkness that remembered how horrified he was once he saw his face after being attacked by a bear, realizing that he would be disfigured and a freak forever. The darkness that remembered water filling his lungs and arrows piercing his back. 

He’d felt Octavius’s warm embrace, his soft voice slowly becoming louder as he talked about something that excited him, seen the love that had grown in his heart as he had time to reflect on the importance of those around him, and the pure, honest loyalty he gave to anyone who he decided to trust. 

If that’s what it meant to be Octavius’s friend, Jedediah would gladly take it. 

Even if it meant suppressing his feelings for him.

...

“Hey, Oct, do ya wanna go and look at the stars tonight?” Jedediah asked Octavius before Octavius could retreat to the pirate diorama. 

Octavius appeared surprised. “Oh! Of course!” 

Jedediah almost sighed in relief, having been positive that Octavius was going to say “no” and go to Bartholomew. “C’mon, Tavi.” 

He took Octavius’s hand, leading him to the elevator. The elevator was constantly being used in the museum, so they just had to wait for someone to get off of it. As they waited, Jedediah just talked to Octavius. Nothing about the conversation he’d overheard with Bartholomew, nothing about feelings or confusion. Just talking. Like normal. 

And it was amazing. 

“Did that really happen?” Octavius chuckled. 

“Ya sure bet it did. A bunch of ladies are tryin’ to replace ya since ya have been hangin’ around Ol’ Captain Roberts.” Jedediah let out a sigh. “I missed ya, Tavi.” 

“And I’m sorry for neglecting to spend time with you.” Octavius paused for a moment. “You know, I really like that nickname.” 

“What? ‘Tavi’?” Jedediah asked. 

Octavius nodded. “It’s a much better nickname than Oct, in my opinion. And...it’s from you. Only you use that nickname. And I find that to be special.” 

There was that odd feeling again. The one that made Jedediah’s heart flutter. He pushed it down with an internal growl. “I fig’red ya would like it better. I spent a whole two hours thinkin’ of what to call ya that sounded more natural than ‘Oct’.” 

“Is that so?” Falling quiet, Octavius thought for a moment. “I only wish I had a better nickname for you than ‘Jed’.” 

The elevator opened, Dexter ran out followed by two other monkeys, then Jedediah and Octavius climbed in, Jedediah climbing onto Octavius’s shoulders to jump up and press the button that led to the roof. The topic from before was forgotten-not completely, though-and they began to talk about what Octavius had learned from Bartholomew. 

“He enjoys sparring, and is extremely talented at it. Though, his first mate, Ruth, far exceeds his skill and has beat me several times over,” Octavius explained. “You ought to meet Ruth. I think you’d like him.” 

“Oh?” Jedediah grinned. “Anyone who beats ya at sparring is an immediate friend o’ mine.” 

“You’re just being a jerk,” Octavius laughed. “And you ought to give Bartholomew a chance, Jedediah. The two of you are more similar than you think.” 

“You take that back.” Jedediah elbowed Octavius. “I’m a whole lot better than Bartholomew.” 

“Yeah, you are,” Octavius admitted. 

Jedediah turned his head. “What?” 

Octavius stared at him. “Why are you so surprised? I enjoy Bartholomew’s company, but you’re my best friend, Jedediah.” 

“Well...that’s a relief.” The elevator opened, and Jedediah and Octavius stepped out. “Diah.” 

“‘Diah’?” Octavius repeated. 

“That’s...that’s the nickname my family gave me. I’ve never let anyone else use it. But, I miss it. So, I’m going to let you use it,” Jedediah explained. 

Octavius smiled widely. “Thank you. I...I almost feel as though you’ve given me something sacred.”

Jedediah shrugged sheepishly. “It’s just a name, Tavi.” 

“But it means something important to you, right? Especially if no one has been allowed to use it other than your family. So, I will treat it as something important.” 

Never in his life had Jedediah wanted to kiss someone so badly. 

“Aw, shucks, yer such a sap, Tavi,” Jedediah muttered, gazing up at the sky. “Look.” 

Never before had the sky looked so beautiful, nor had the stars ever been so clear. Usually, the lights of the city around them glared so brightly that they could only see the brightest of stars. But tonight, for some reason, the lights seemed to be dimmed and the stars took the opportunity to shine down on them. Jedediah turned to see the expression on Octavius’s face, and his breath was taken away. 

The stars were reflecting in Octavius’s dark brown eyes, making them look like pools filled with mystery and wisdom. Jedediah was no poet, but looking into Octavius’s eyes made him want to write entire sonnets about them. And, if that were to make Octavius happy, he would write those sonnets, as clumsy as they most certainly would be. How could Octavius, someone who Jedediah at first thought as rather ordinary-looking, become so godlike in just a moment? 

There was no way that Jedediah could be satisfied as only Octavius’s friend. It would start to chip away at him until the pain worked its way to his heart. Then, that would begin to break piece by piece. 

But what was Jedediah supposed to do? 

Friendship. 

That word still didn’t feel right. It meant so many things both good and bad and Jedediah hated the parts of it that were bad. The bad parts being that...Octavius didn’t love him. Only viewed him as a friend. 

How was Jedediah to survive?

...

Sunday was the night when everyone in the museum rested. It was discovered that they did not need as much sleep as the general public did, but they still needed to sleep and rest sometimes. Jedediah dreaded Sundays. When he was younger, he dreaded them because his mother would pull him out of bed, force him into too-tight Sunday best clothing, and drag him to the church down the road. But now, Jedediah fought sleep with every fiber of his being.

He hated sleep and the truths and terror that it brought with it. And tonight was no different. Jedediah had promised Octavius that he would try to sleep. And Jedediah Smith never turned back on his promises. He was finally able to relax enough to doze, but, the moment he drifted off, he began to dream.

He was standing on a ship. A pirate ship, to be exact. It was rocking back and forth sickeningly, the sky grey, and Jedediah could hardly keep his footing. He stumbled and heard an amused snort only to look up into the face of Captain Roberts.

“You look like you’re having trouble, boy,” he chuckled. “You need to earn your sea legs, and then balancing on a ship will be no trouble.”

“What do you want?!” Jedediah snapped.

It started to rain.

Bartholomew pressed a hand to his heart. “I’m offended! I thought we were friends.”

“Anyone who takes Oct from me is not my friend,” Jedediah growled.

It grew dark. So dark that Jedediah could hardly see Bartholomew, who was standing mere feet from him.

A wide grin stretched across Bartholomew’s face. “Oh really? So do you hate the sea?”

“What?! Of course not what do you-“ Jedediah cut off, his heart freezing as lighting cracked and revealed the silhouette of Octavius tied by hundreds of ropes, hanging over the now roaring water. “What have you done to him?!”

“Oh, this wasn’t me.” Bartholomew raised an eyebrow disapprovingly as the boat rocked, sending Jed to the ground. “It was them.”

He pointed to the water, lighting flashing. Jedediah blinked, and Bartholomew was gone. No...he wasn’t...there were hundreds of him. Jumping and churning together to create the wicked waves below. Each reached up, desperately grabbing at Octavius, who was unconscious.

“No...” Jedediah whispered, then his voice rose to a shout as he scrambled to his feet. “NO YOU CAN’T HAVE HIM!”

He ran, but the ship tipped again, sending him in the opposite direction he wanted to go. The Bartholomews in the water laughed as the tipping sent Octavius closer to them, then screeched in anger as the ship righted itself.

The Bartholomew from before reappeared at Jedediah’s side. “Earn your sea legs, boy. Or you’re going to lose him.”

Jedediah woke up twisted inside of his blankets on the floor. He was cold and hot all at once. As soon as a stood up, the world began to rock back and forth like he was back on the ship. Staggering like a drunk, Jedediah eventually had to collapse to the ground, gasping as he desperately tried to avoid the dry heaves that his stomach so desperately wanted to do.

After a few moments, Jedediah’s vision stopped warping and he was able to stand without feeling sick. He made his way over to the saloon, swinging the door open. Johnson, the bartender, woke from where he was sleeping in the corner with a start. A horribly annoyed expression appeared on his face as he lifted himself up. 

“No, no, Johnson. I can get myself some whiskey,” Jedediah murmured, handing him a few coins. 

Johnson raised an eyebrow. “This is for an entire bottle.” 

Jedediah shrugged. “I can’t sleep.” 

Understanding, Johnson took the coins, rolled over, and started to snore almost instantly. Jedediah shuffled through the whiskey bottles until he found a bottle of straight rye Pikesville whiskey. He took it and went back to his tent, where he sat on the edge of his cot with a sigh. Jedediah didn’t like drinking, but it had started to become a regular occurrence as his nightmares worsened. He popped off the cork of the whisky bottle and took a swig, instantly calming his nerves. 

He sat there for awhile, taking occasional sips from the whisky bottle as he thought about the dream. Out of all of the terrifying nightmares that Jedediah had in recent months, this one unnerved him the most and he did not know why. Was he really so terrified of losing Octavius to Bartholomew? Bartholomew, in all sense, had done nothing wrong. He knew nothing of Jedediah’s feelings and it wasn’t as though he was trying to pull Octavius away from Jedediah. Whenever Octavius left, it was by his own will. 

No, he thought. This IS his fault. Ol’ Captain Roberts must be manipulatin’ him! 

The whisky was starting to kick in, messing with Jedediah’s thought and filling him with rage. He hated Bartholomew. How dare he even SPEAK to Octavius?! Octavius was his. Not Bartholomew’s. His.

Jedediah stood, downing the rest of the bottle and tossing it to the side. He was going to confront Bartholomew, and he was going to sort him out. No one touches Octavius without permission. They can’t even look at him. 

Without knowing quite how he got up here, Jedediah was marching on the dock towards Captain Robert’s ship. He found Captain Roberts standing on deck, fencing with a man that Jedediah couldn’t recognize. But he didn’t care about him. All Jedediah had on his mind was: Get Bartholomew away from Octavius. 

“YOU!” he shouted. 

Bartholomew and the other man stopped fencing, turning to face him. “Me?” 

“Yes, you!” Jedediah exclaimed, jabbing a finger in Bartholomew’s chest. “Just WHO do you think you are?!” 

Bartholomew leaned against the side of the ship, crossing his left leg over his right. “I’m going to take a wild guess and say that you’re drunk.” 

“So what if I am?! I’m here because you’ve stolen something from me!” Jedediah exclaimed. 

Standing straight up, Bartholomew began to laugh. “I’ve done no such thing! I may be a pirate, but I only steal from the wealthy. And, I’m sorry to say, you aren’t wealthy. You’ve got nothing worth stealing.” 

“Yes I do!” Jedediah’s voice broke, not because he was about to cry but just from how angry he was. “And you STOLE him! You tied him up and you’re grabbing at him and your ship was pushing me around and you told me to earn some sea legs or that I was going to lose him and-”

“Alright, that’s enough,” Bartholomew interrupted him. “You’re not making any sense. I suggest that you leave and come back when you’re sober and coherent.” 

“How dare you,” Jedediah hissed, grabbing Bartholomew’s collar. “You know very well what I’m talking about.”

“First rule of seafaring, lad.” Bartholomew wrenched Jedediah’s hands from his collar. “Don’t get into a drunken fight with a sober man.” 

Jedediah felt himself falling, and he splashed into the frigid water below. Panic instantly gripped his heart as he fought to the surface. It took him a second to realize that he wasn’t sinking any further and he stood up in water that reached his shoulder with a loud gasp as he surfaced. Bartholomew was standing on the beach nearby, arms crossed. 

“Well that took you awhile,” he snorted. “Hopefully that water has cleared your head and now you can talk to me like a properly civilized man.” 

Jedediah wanted to keep being mad, but, mostly, he just felt defeated. “Fine.” 

He walked up to the beach, where Bartholomew revealed that he was holding his hat. “I figured you wouldn’t want this to get wet.”

Of course Bartholomew would’ve saved his hat. Because he’s such a blasted gentleman. 

“Thanks,” Jedediah murmured, taking the hat and sitting on the beach. His clothes were certainly going to be full of sand later, but...he’d deal with that at a later time. 

Bartholomew removed his coat, folding it carefully, and then sat beside Jedediah on the beach with the coat in his lap. “Now, clearly I have offended you in some way. Would you care to explain what I have done in a calm manner?” 

Jedediah stared out at the peaceful ocean, wishing he was back out there instead of having this conversation now that he could think properly. “I...I don’t know.”

“Oh you certainly know.” Bartholomew paused. “Unless...you were hallucinating?” 

“No, no.” Jedediah took off his boots and dumped water out them. “I’m just...being a fool.” 

“That’s for certain,” Bartholomew agreed. “Drunk, trying to pick a fight with a pirate captain. I’d call that the actions of a fool.” 

“Yeah, jus’ keep remindin’ me.” Jedediah took a deep breath as he slipped his boots back on. “I was jus’ angry.” 

“I got that much, and you’re avoiding the question. Why were you angry?” Bartholomew asked. 

Jedediah felt a little bit of his rage from earlier start to prickle his heart again. How could Bartholomew be so calm?! Act so ignorant?! 

“Why?! Why am I angry?!” Jedediah snapped. “You’ve stolen my best friend! My compadre! He always talks about how great you are and how dashing and kind ol’ Captain Roberts is!” 

“Does he? Fascinating. Never expected that,” was all that Bartholomew said. 

“Really?! With all of yer sweet-talk and flirtin’ I’m surprised that he ain’t taken ya to his chambers!” Jedediah put his head to his knees. “I jus’...I want him back. An’ not jus’ for one night. Do you realize that’s been three weeks, and he’s only spent one night with me? What did I do?” 

“Oh no. So you’re both idiots?” 

Jedediah’s head snapped up. “What?!” 

There was a wide smile on Bartholomew’s face. “I wasn’t flirting with him.” 

“What?” Jedediah repeated, baffled. “It sure sounded like it!” 

“Is it so wrong to compliment another man? Can it not be interpreted as simply platonic?” Bartholomew asked. “The ladies in my crew are constantly speaking each other in a manner that men are not allowed to. They’re constantly calling each other ‘goddesses,’ ‘the most beautiful beings on this earth,’ and other things that would seem romantic from an outside view. But, it’s all platonic. Well, most of it is. I’m certain two of them are in a relationship, but it’s hard to know.” 

“So...ya were jus’ sayin’ those things?” 

Bartholomew shook his head. “I meant every word I said, Smith. You don’t ‘just say’ things like that. I truly do think Octavius is a wonderful, magnificent man. And so I’ll let him know. Should I not tell someone who I look up to that I look up to them? There’s a lot of things about him that someday desire to be. Besides, who knows what a person needs to feel better about themselves? It could be ask simple as a few compliments.” 

Jedediah stared at Bartholomew. “For a pirate, ya don’t seem that awful.” 

“Trust me, Smith, I’ve done horrible things. But, let’s just say that they weren’t my friends. I’m kind and loyal to my friends, no one else,” Bartholomew explained. 

“Then why are you kind to me?” 

“You seemed like a good candidate for a potential friend.” 

“Oh.” 

They both fell silent for some time, Jedediah thinking on Batholomew’s words. “What do you mean by us both bein’ idiots?” 

Bartholomew took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment before reopening them and gazing back towards the ship. “Do you see him?” 

“Who?” Jedediah looked past Bartholomew’s head to see the man that Bartholomew was sparring before standing on deck, still practicing. “Yes, I do. Who is that?” 

“Ruth.” There was a look in Bartholomew’s eyes that Jedediah had never seen before. “My first mate. And my first love.” 

“What?” 

Turning back to Jedediah, Bartholomew’s eyes were gleaming. “I never had any intention of taking Octavius from you. Not in the least. I already have someone with me who I love very, very much. A man of much talent, much beauty, and much intelligence. My right hand and my very heart.” 

“Then, why were ya spendin’ so much time with Tavi?” Jedediah ran a hand over the sand of the beach, remembering how Octavius searched through the grains for something beautiful. 

“Ruth...he’s a free spirit. He’s the explorer, and I prefer to stick to my ship. He wanted to chart out the museum. So, I let him go. I get lonely quite easily,” Bartholomew admitted. “I view Octavius as a kindred spirit. But, besides being friends, I see nothing more between us. Though, you feel the opposite. You want Octavius to be far more than just your friend.” 

Jedediah’s heart beat quickly. “How d’ya know?!” 

“You’re not a subtle man, Smith,” Bartholomew chuckled. “Every time you look at Octavius you look as though you’ve watched him hang all the stars in the sky or are gazing upon the most beautiful creature on earth. That, Smith, is a look of pure love.” 

“It doesn’t mean anythin’, since Oct doesn’t love me.” Jedediah got smacked upside the head. “OW! What is yer problem?!” 

“As I said: you’re BOTH idiots.” Bartholomew rolled his eyes. “Smith, you’re a bigger fool than the one the king of Spain hired.” 

“Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind,” Jedediah huffed, rubbing his head. “Get to the point, Roberts.” 

“Smith, when your back is turned, I have never seen such an expression of desperate love on a human’s face before. And Octavius has told me of how much he loves you, Smith. He just doesn’t believe that you could ever love him back.” Bartholomew stood, putting a hand on Jedediah’s shoulder. “Go talk to him. You won’t regret it. Not in the least.” 

…

Jedediah stood outside of Octavius’s home, hand hovering over the wooden door. What if he was making a huge mistake? What if Bartholomew was lying or was just misinformed? What if Octavius changed his mind? What if- 

The door opened. 

Octavius nearly ran into Jedediah, halting to a stop. “Oh! Perfect timing, Jedediah. I was just about to go looking for you.” 

As usual, Jedediah’s heart stopped as he gazed upon Octavius’s face. It was sleepy, his hair tousled, and it was obvious that his toga had been pulled on in a hurry. 

And he was gorgeous. 

“Jed...are you alright?” Octavius asked, waving his hand in front of his friend’s face. “Hey, ‘Diah, I asked you if you also couldn’t sleep.” 

“I love you,” Jedediah whispered. 

Octavius’s eyes widened, suddenly more awake. “What?” 

“Octavius, I love ya,” Jedediah repeated. “I love ya so, so much.” 

“I…” Octavius looked at the ground, then back up. “Really?” 

“Yes, really.” Jedediah’s voice was still hushed. “Tavi, I can’t hide it anymore. I need ya to know jus’ how much I love ya. Oct...please tell me ya love me too.” 

Octavius walked up to Jedediah, cupped his face, and let out a laugh. “I would say ‘yes,’ but I fear that I am dreaming.” 

“Yer not,” Jedediah promised, reaching up to hold one of Octavius’s hands, pressing it closer to his face. “This is real.” 

“I just can’t believe that you’re saying this. I just…” Octavius’s voice broke. “I just...can’t.” 

“Believe it. Please.” Jedediah pressed his forehead against Octavius’s. “I have to know.” 

“‘Diah…” Octavius moved his hand to run his fingers through Jedediah’s hair. “I love you too.” 

“Then...I hope ya don’t mind this.” 

Jedediah closed the gap between them, kissing Octavius softly, hesitantly. Using the hand that was tangled in Jedediah’s hair, Octavius pulled Jedediah closer. It was so much better than jedediah could’ve ever imagined. Octavius tasted like the wine and honey cakes he always had after dinner. There was something so beautiful about the quiet and messiness of the moment. Neither of them were really quite sure and yet completely sure at the same time. 

“Diah...stay with me tonight. Please.” Octavius put his head against Jedediah’s chest once they pulled away. “I hate being alone.” 

“I know.” Jedediah kissed Octavius’s hand. “I hate it too.” 

…

When Jedediah woke up, he had the most horrible headache he’d ever experienced. He immediately snapped his eyes shut when they registered the horrible light coming from the display lights above the dioramas. Opening his eyes hurt so bad. What had happened last night? Jedediah couldn’t remember. That was, until he felt arms wrap his stomach and a face press into his shoulder. 

“Good morning, Diah,” Octavius whispered. “Did you sleep well?” 

“I got a headache, but...it’ll be okay,” Jedediah sighed, his heart fluttering at Octavius’s low, tired morning voice. 

Octavius snorted. “I could tell that you’d been drinking. You tasted like whisky. C’mon, I know how to help you.” 

Jedediah felt Octavius move and assumed that he was getting out of bed. The soft popping of Octavius walking across the marble floor grew louder until Octavius appeared in front of Jedediah, kissing his nose. Was this real? Jedediah prayed that it was. It was too perfect to be true, and Jedediah wanted it desperately to be true. 

A half-hour later, Jedediah and Octavius were walking about the museum as they usually did. Just talking. Not about the night before. Not asking questions about feelings or what had happened in the past. Just walking hand-in-hand, laughing and loving together. 

Not just as friends. 

In love. 

Turning a corner, they nearly bumped into Bartholomew, who was with Ruth. At the sight of them, Bartholomew smiled widely. 

“Looks like you’ve earned your sea legs, Smith.”


End file.
